1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lead frame magazine conveying device which conveys lead frame magazines from a magazine loader section to a lead frame receiving position or lead frame feed-out position and then further conveys the lead frame magazines to a magazine unloader section.
2. Prior Art
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) Nos. 5-166851 and 7-53009 disclose examples of conventional magazine conveying devices.
In these devices, a magazine loader section which supplies lead frame magazines and a magazine unloader section which receives lead frame magazines are designed to be a two stage (upper and lower) structure, and an elevator which receives lead frame magazines from the magazine loader section is raised or lowered so that the lead frame magazines are positioned in a lead frame receiving position or lead frame feed-out position and then further raised or lowered so that the lead frame magazines which have received or fed out lead frames are positioned in the magazine unloader section. In addition, the elevator includes a chuck means for chuck-holding the lead frame magazines so as to avoid inadvertent movements of the magazines in the elevator which is caused by vibrations, etc. occurring during the up and down motion of the elevator.
In these prior art lead frame magazine conveying devices, when the elevator receives the magazine from the magazine loader section and the chuck means holds the magazine, the magazine occasionally does not firmly contact with a positioning plate provided in the elevator; as a result, the magazine is held by the chuck means in a floating fashion or in a tilted fashion. When the magazines are thus not held properly, bringing lead frames into the magazine and/or taking lead frames out from the magazine to lead frame guides are/is not executed reliably nor smoothly.